As we all know, relationships are hard. Sometimes we want to walk away from them and sometimes we just need a break. First, I want to explore some examples of good relationships and bad relationships, and then suggest what can be considered.

The Good Relationships

Some relationships rarely communicate. For example, one might not talk for 6 months to a friend and later come back to communicating and get to know each other more. Sometimes relationships work best by communicating at times it is convenient. Other relationships work by talking to each other every 1-2 days. Other times, relationships work based on activities one or more persons does with other(s). The point is that no matter how rarely one communicates, a positive interaction or neutral interaction is mostly presented.

Bad relationships

Sometimes relationships exhaust our mental health. For example, one friend can be falling through depression and the other can always be trying to motivate them. This can be mentally exhausting. But is it okay to walk away from a friendship that (1) is not abusive, and (2) one person helps more than the other?

From my perspective, I seek relationships to have a sense of mutuality. As discussed in a philosophical article I wrote Philosophy Has Given A New Perspective To My Life – And My Mental Health, mutuality means to voluntarily help each other through growth and productivity. Therefore, walking away from certain relationships as soon as they affect our mental health leads to a lack of growth, even if boundaries were set or not set in place. Depending on the situation, one could need to be resilient or walk away completely.

Considerations

The best time to leave a relationship completely is when one or more people jeopardize the safety of one or more individuals. On the other hand, it is important to set boundaries and barriers as necessary.

The way I distinguish boundaries and barriers is that boundaries are rules set in place for our mental wellbeing. A barrier is to set a law that prevents a person from ever getting close to you.

As a matter of fact, one can always seek to approach a therapist for professional help, even when it is not needed. It can be perceived as the way religious people communicate with God. God is therapeutic and can be sought out in the bad times as well as in the good times.